Notebook: Thompson chipping in for ECU

The emergence of junior safety Chip Thompson on East Carolina’s defense came as no surprise to Ruffin McNeill.

It’s exactly what the third-year Pirates coach expected.

David Hall / Staff Writer

GREENVILLE — The emergence of junior safety Chip Thompson on East Carolina’s defense came as no surprise to Ruffin McNeill.

It’s exactly what the third-year Pirates coach expected.

Thompson, who transferred with junior cornerback Adonis Armstrong from Hinds Community College, is part of a tandem of newcomers making an immediate impact on an injury-depleted unit that needed the help.

Thompson made a national name for himself this week when he was named the Bronko Nagurski defensive player of the week by the Football Writers Association of America for his efforts in Saturday’s 28-18 Conference USA win over Texas-El Paso.

A 6-foot, 210-pound native of Jackson, Miss., Thompson logged a career-high eight tackles and intercepted two fourth-quarter passes from Nick Lamaison — the second of which set up a key touchdown — to help shut down the Miners’ comeback attempt.

Armstrong, a 5-foot-10, 181-pound go-getter from Clinton, Miss., sealed the deal when he picked off a Lamaison pass with 3:09 remaining in the game.

With cornerback Jacobi Jenkins, defensive end Justin Dixon and inside linebacker Daniel Drake all on the shelf in recent weeks, offering Thompson a scholarship during the summer before his sophomore year at Hinds has proven in hindsight to be a wise move.

“When signing Chip, we knew he would come in and be able to contribute early,” McNeill said. “The things you see him do on film — Chip and Adonis — we saw them do that at Hinds. They picked off passes, made plays, made hits, had a knack for doing it.”

Armstrong, who has started all five games for the Pirates (3-2, 2-0 C-USA) and is expected to start a sixth at Central Florida on Thursday, is fourth on the team with 26 tackles.

Thompson leads the team with two interceptions and is seventh with 18 tackles. He scored ECU’s first points of the season when he returned a fumble 45 yards against Appalachian State on Sept. 1.

But Saturday was the first time he played an entire game, an experience that he said was helpful.

“It felt better,” Thompson said. “I got a feel for the game and I could see the concepts and I could read my keys a lot faster.”

McNeill, himself a former ECU defensive back, expects the pair to continue displaying their “knack.”

“One game, it may be luck,” McNeill said. “But two to three games in a row, it becomes a skill.”

The question

Thompson’s fumble return against Appalachian was the longest by an ECU player since Kwabena Green’s 45-yarder against Tulane in 1999. Who holds the school record for the longest fumble return?

A real downer

Cody Lyon is listed on ECU’s roster as a safety, but there is a more descriptive term for what he really does.

On the team, he’s known as a “ball guy.”

Lyon, a senior special teams specialist who transferred from Campbell and walked on, lines up on the left end on the punt unit and bolts down the field to find the ball.

So far, he’s downed at least three Trent Tignor punts inside the 10-yard line, a fact that Tignor, especially, appreciates.

“Everyone on the line has a role, and it just happens to be his role has paid off in the downing of the punts.”

Lyon, a scrappy 5-foot-10, 184-pound Raleigh native with shoulder-length dark hair, said he practices downing punts every day. On Thursdays, he practices the jump-and-catch maneuver of keeping a bouncing, oblong ball out of the end zone.

Lyon believes he’s developed a nose for the ball.

“I guess you could say that,” he said. “I think all special teams comes down to effort, and if you’re willing to give and know your role on the team, you become successful.”

McNeill said Lyon plays with what special teams coach Kirk Doll calls “strain,” meaning that he displays a constant sense of urgency. The contributions of an otherwise anonymous player are not lost on the head coach.

“The kids respect him, and he earns it by how he practices,” McNeill said. “Every single day, he goes full speed and he strains.”

On this date

The PIrates picked up a 21-17 win at Marshall on their way to a second straight C-USA title on Oct. 3, 2009.

Carden, a sophomore who won the job from junior Rio Johnson after the season’s second game, has started an important C-USA game at defending league champion Southern Miss, a non-conference rivalry game at North Carolina and Saturday’s home contest against UTEP, which was played in a nearly relentless downpour.

“He really just hasn’t had a normal game yet,” Riley said. “We’ve had two crazy ones on the road, and then that one (Saturday) night was just strange.”

Riley had Carden, whose style of play has been compared to that of his favorite player, Brett Favre, roll out more often against the Miners to move the pocket around.

Carden completed 28 of 40 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score, but his three interceptions helped give UTEP a fighting chance.

Even if the games have been unusual, Carden feels like he’s evolving.

“Experience helps with anyone, any position,” he said.

“It’s kind of coming better and better in me. I’m feeling pretty good right now.”

Riley wants him to feel even better.

“If he can just keep taking the steps that he’s taking, then we’re going to improve rapidly,” Riley said. “And so will he.”

The answer

Ernie Lewis returned a fumble 97 yards during a 41-28 loss at West Virginia on Nov. 7, 1992.

David Hall can be reached at (252) 559-1086 or at david.hall@kinston.com.